Water meters are typically located in the ground with the water service line. In residential areas, water meters are typically located in the front yard neat the street or in the backyard near the alley. Periodic access to the water meters is required for billing purposes.
The water meters are housed in a box. The box provides vertical walls. A lid covers the top of the box. The lid is flush to or slightly below the ground.
Many utility companies use automated meter reading (AMR). A water meter is equipped with a radio transmitter, sometimes referred to as in ERT (encoder-receiver-transmitter). The transmitter is connected to the meter, with the meter being in line with the service line or pipe. The transmitter is mounted to the lid on the box. A reader from the utility company passes near the lid and water usage information is transmitted by the transmitter to the reader. The reader can be hand held or located in a vehicle driven along the street or alley.
Even with the transmitter in place, access to the water meter box interior is required. Frequently, access to a cutoff valve located in the meter box may be required to control the supply of water. Also, access to the transmitter may be required from time to time for maintenance, such as changing the batteries.
When accessing the interior of the meter box, damage to the transmitter may occur. The transmitters are connected to the meters by way of wires. When the lid is removed from the box, if care is not taken, the wires can be yanked loose from the meter, thereby disabling the operation of the transmitter.
Thus, it is desirable to allow access to the interior of the meter box while minimizing damage to the transmitter and its connection to the meter.